Stars and Names
The night sky is the most beautiful work of magic to ever exist. No other form of magic exists that amazes Harry, like watching the universe above him change from day to night; the clouds turn dark and part so the stars can light up the darkness to dazzle the mortals below. Harry, of course, has been hearing about the stars since he can remember anything. He may not be a Black, but Reggie refuses to raise someone who doesn’t know every little detail about every star deemed worthy of gazing upon. Sometimes, Harry wishes he could have a star name. It gives a name, meaning, a story, a purpose.
Regulus has a meaning, a lion’s heart, and Harry can’t help but smile while thinking of it. Reggie always talks about the bravery of lions, how they stand up for others, defend their friends fiercely, and love wildly and unashamed. And at the heart of all of the lion's courage and love is Regulus.
Of course, Reggie never seems to realize the connection between the two, but he usually remains blind when it comes to himself. He doesn’t see it, but he perfectly represents the meaning of his star, and Harry so desperately wishes he could represent something so perfectly as well.
Sometimes, he likes to stare at the stars and pick one for himself. Imagine which would best suit him. He has probably gone through hundreds of stars. Picturing a different life, a different journey he can take if his name happens to be something other than Harry Potter.
Tonight is the start of Lughnasadh. One of the eight cyclical days, and in other words, one of eight times, Reggie lets Harry stay up past nine. Each time a traditional day comes around, Reggie and Harry go and sit under the stars and complete a small ritual. Reggie says there needs to be more people in our family to do the traditional rituals that are usually performed, but he still wants to keep some connection to the dark. Harry's night always ends before Reggie's because he never fails to say Harry is too young to do anything more. Sending Harry to bed before he does any fun magical rituals. This year, though, Harry’s decided to stay up and watch from the window. He knows that Reggie will teach him everything he needs to know in the future, but he desperately wants to see it and feel even a little bit of The Mother’s power for himself.
He looks up as he hears Reggie come down the back steps towards him and lie down. He carries the usual candles and bread offerings. However, under his left arm, Reggie holds a strange dark wood box marked with carvings and symbols all around it. The symbols remind Harry of the ones he sees in some of the ancient, very dusty books Reggie carries around sometimes.
Reggie lays next to Harry on the grass after setting all the items down. His long, curly hair fanning on the grass. He shits and turns toward Harry with a little smile on his face.
“What star did you choose today?”
Harry turns back to the actual stars and points. He isn’t sure why he chose the one for tonight. He had been looking for an hour, and his eyes kept coming back to following along the path of stars leading to the head of a snake, or more specifically, a dragon.
Draco. The star.
Then, his thoughts would wander to the other Draco. The beautiful boy with pale hair and the eyes he’s been memorizing since he could do anything.
He doesn’t really understand why he is so fixated on it. The fact that Draco Malfoy, the first other wizard boy Harry’s ever met, can’t leave his mind has been puzzling him. And so he has been staring at the star. The star that shines the brightest during this very month but never relents. It shines all year, every day. Never to be lost in the sky.
Harry's earlier excitement slowly leaves as he realizes he’s a little annoyed. Draco Malfoy has everything Harry’s ever wanted: blue-grey eyes, knowledge of the world, and, most of all, the name of a star.
Draco.
“I chose Vega.”
“Oh. and why Vega?”
“It’s shining very brightly tonight, only behind Arcturus.” A curious noise comes from Reggie; Harry turns back to look at him. “What?”
“Oh, nothing.” the slight smile forming on his face says something different. Harry frowns. He doesn’t like not knowing what Reggie is thinking. As Reggie's eyes return to Harry’s, he sighs, turning his whole body to face him. “I only mean it’s an interesting choice. You don’t normally pick the brightest stars, so I was only curious if there may be another reason you chose Vega.”
Harry scrunches his nose. Why does Reggie always have to know everything? Harry can never have a secret. He crosses his arms, hoping he comes off as put out as he feels.
“There may be another reason, but I don’t want to tell you.”
“Oh, is that so?” Harry nods aggressively. "I’ll leave it alone then.”
A silence falls between them as they both turn away from one another and stare at the sky. It stretches out longer than usual, so much so that Harry begins worrying that he should have been honest and a little less rude. He begins to say something when-
“Vega is an admirable choice; many myths and stories have been written about it. One myth is that it represents Orpheus' lyre, an instruments with the ability to entrance even the gods.” The pout he'd been wearing suddenly becomes more challenging to maintain. He loves hearing Reggie's stories, no matter how annoyed he feels. He tells them as though he’s spent hours finding the best way, the perfect way to express the power that the stars hold. “It could make anything and everything bend to Orpheus’ will, to dance and sing, but when his love was taken from him and he failed in getting her back, he could not bear to live in this world anymore. Some say he was killed others say he died of his grief, but no matter what his lyre played on. The sounds rang from his head and his heart even after it stopped beating, so he rose to the sound of his music made by his lyre and became the Oracle of Orpheus, foretelling many prophecies of heroes and of tragedies. He became, some say, even more famous than the Oracle of Delphi, but I don’t know if I fully agree with that. Despite his tragic demise, he become something imfamous and all-powerful and his lyre was thrown into the stars by The Gods forever fated to weave songs for the universe. It’s why I believe all the stars around it look as though they are dazzling in the night sky, because they can not help but dance to the will of the lyre.”
Harry closes his eyes. Dazzling in the night sky.
“What are the other stories?”
Reggie hums, “I think I ought to save those for another night, just in case you choose Vega again. I wouldn’t want to start to bore with the same stories.”
“Your stories could never bore me Reggie. Besides there are infinite amounts of stars, and even when you don’t have any more stories to tell, I’ll find a star with no story and we can create one together.” Reggie smiles down at him.
“I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.” Suddenly, Harry couldn’t think of why he was so annoyed earlier. A future in which Reggie will continue to tell Harry about the stars they both love so much is the most important thing above all the rest of his wants.
Regulus sits up and turns to retrieve the items he brought with him.
“Now, it’s almost time for the new day to start and for us to honor The Mother.” Harry quickly sits up and moves right in front of Reggie and the box he brought. “Today has been an exciting but very difficult day. Many secrets, deceptions, and offenses were found out that were done to you.”
“You too, Reggie. They were done to you too.” His eyes shake as he lets the words sink in. Harry doesn’t understand why Reggie doesn’t get it or why he would be surprised by this.
“Right.” his voice is a little shaky. “Your magic has been returned to you now, and I believe it is time for you to truly begin your studies of your magic. Tonight, we will confirm with The Mother that you are a dark wizard and would like to begin your education in her teaching and art. But first, I need to ask you if you truly want to begin. We can always wait and do it another time. It has been a trying day, and if this is too much for today, it is completely understandable, but I wanted to give you the option.”
Harry honestly can’t believe he’s even being asked this question.
“Yes, I want to learn if I am truly a dark wizard. I want to learn and become strong. When I do, I will ensure no one ever makes us feel like they did today. I won’t let them.” His voice, charged with fury, echoes his earlier anger. The desire to make everyone except the two of them disappear fuels his determination to become strong, not only for himself but for Reggie too. And the sooner he becomes strong, the sooner Reggie will no longer have to worry about him as much.
“Very well. We shall begin in just a few minutes, but first, there are a few other things. We will set up the candles as we usually do and place our bread offering for the harvest between us. However, for the ritual we are going to perform today, we shall use something new.” Harry nods eagerly, too excited to do anything else. Reggie reaches and opens the dark box; inside lies a giant book decorated with the Black family sigil embossed on the front with the family motto, Toujours Pur; the box also contains a knife made with a black blade and dark wook that matches the box decorated in similar markings. Reggie pulls out both items. There are more, but Harry can’t quite determine what they are.
“To initiate yourself and confirm your possession of dark magic I will prick your finger for just one little drop of blood, it will fall onto the book and you will then repeat my words, do you understand?” Harry nods again. “This book is the Black family grimoire which I will show you more of in the future. I know it is not your families book, but I’m afraid it was not in the vaults at Gringotts, I hoping to find it later in one of the properties, but for now the Black family will just have to do.” Thunder strikes in the distance as if to let them know it is time.
Regulus moves to set up the candles in a circle with eight points, each symbolizing the cyclical days. When he sits back down, Harry sets the bread between their knees to the side of the grimoire. Reggie offers his hands to Harry, and he places his hands into Reggie’s palms.
Reggie begins in Latin, “Here on the beginning of Lughnasadh, we call with our magic to The Mother and to the dark, that it may accept our offerings today on the day of harvest and honor us in our rituals.” The circle around them begins to glow purple. Magic creates an eight-pointed star across them on the ground. Harry is always awed by this part. The raw magic around them is unmatched and unbelievable. It glows brightly in the night as if it’s competing with the stars. The light shines on their skin and lights up their faces with a purple hue. “On this day, we call Harry Potter to confirm his magic with The Mother and begin his journey in the dark.”
Reggie nods at him and picks up the knife. Harry holds his pointer finger over the grimoire, noticing how small it looks compared to everything. Reggie never stops looking at Harry as he pricks his finger. Harry watches as the smallest amount of blood trickles down the pad of his finger and falls on the book. Suddenly, the magic around them grows. The circle begins to form a wall around them.
“Repeat after me.” He then switches back to Latin, “This is a rite of beginning and of affirmation,” Harry repeats him. “To seek the knowledge and learn in the ways of The Mother and in the dark.” Harry, again, repeats. Finally, “We ask the mother to show the path in which fate leads us and for this show of sacrifice to be the beginning of power and connection through the earth, the magic, and the universe.” Harry finishes the words.
He doesn't remember closing his eyes, but when he opens them again, purple lights float across the space before and around him. Some are fast-moving, some are slow, but they all move around them. The walls of magic have grown, and as more lights form, Harry feels his magic within him. It feels comforting but strong, and parts of it are harsh, but it all stems from his magical core, which he had felt for the first time. He had it taken away from him, but now it is all his. And the magic flows through him and out into the swirling magic around him.
Harry faintly hears Reggie take a breath.
All Harry can think about is how encompassing it is and how beautiful and unreal it looks. This is his magic, all of it. He has been honored by The Mother in this rite. He knows now that one day, he will be strong enough. No one will ever hurt him or the ones he loves again.
The magic begins to fade and seem back into the earth, his own magic returning to him, but now he can feel it. He looks back up at Reggie.
Honestly, Harry can’t remember a time when Reggie looked so shocked and at a loss for words. Harry, knowing the ritual is not over, offers his hands back to Reggie. This seems to snap him out of his awe slightly. He returns the grasp on his hands and continues.
“We thank The Mother for accepting our offering and giving us the knowelder and insight to our magic. Today is the day of the harvest and the symbol of the beginning of change. This is our magic and our word. May the stars and darkness guide us.”
The light slowly dims, and the world refocuses. Harry sits still, amazed by what happened. He can’t believe he now gets to learn his magic.
The sound of Reggie clearing his throat pulls him out of his thoughts.
“You did very well darling.” Harry beams back up at him. “And now I know something without a doubt.”
Harry tilts his head, not sure what he means.
“You Harry Potter, are most certaintly going to be a very powerful dark wizard.”